Silence



Definitions
  • The absence of omission of mention, comment, or expressed concern.
  • Abesence of sound or noise
  • Speaking with a purpose
  • The condition or quality of being or keeping still and reserved


Discussion:
Use the discussion board to share your personal thoughts, experiences and understandings of this virtue as we progress through the week. Participation is optional, but encouraged. Click on the discussion tab to begin.


Quotables:
Collect quotes that relate to this virtue and share them here. Edit the page, and add the quote and author. Then, give a brief explanation of how that quote relates to the target virtue.


  • "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends" –Martin Luther King, Jr [http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_silence.html]
    • This quote, by MLK Jr., portrays a negative connotation to silence. In his fight for civil rights, Martin Luther King, Jr. is showing that abolitionists will not falter by the rudeness and cowardice of those against rights to all people. Contrarily, those that can help but do not stand up for the rights of all people are the ones that will have the most impact. In this quote, remaining silent hinders the progress of those in the campaign for equal rights.
  • 'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. -Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865)
    • This quote is saying that by talking you can sound stupid, it is better to listen and think before you speak.
  • Martin Luther King, jr.: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
    this quote is saying that once we stop standing up for what we believe in, our lives dont really matter any more.

  • "There are times when silence is the loudest voice" - Leroy Brownlow
    • This quote explains how sometimes the act of being silent is "louder", or more significant, than speaking what you think out-loud. For example, silence can highlight a feeling of shame or doubt when a question is being asked. ThinkQuest.com - Silence Quotes
  • "Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts."
    • Silence is another form of conversation. Speaking is for people on a general level but when you can say what mean without really having to say it then you've proven a long lasting and true bond, such as friendship which is shown in this quote from. http://thinkexist.com/quotations/silence/

  • “There are times when silence has the loudest voice.” – Leroy Brownlow
http://thinkexist.com/quotations/silence/
    • This quote is agreement with the famous saying that silence is golden. It says that silence can be more powerful than words if used effectively.
  • "Silence is one of the great arts of conversation." - Marcus Tulius Cicero
    • Silence is one of the great arts of conversation because by not saying anything at all, that actually is saying so much more.
  • Will Durant: One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.
    • This is stating that throughout history it has been seen that there are many times that silence is more benificial and productive than saying something wrong, or inappropriate.
  • “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.”- Mother Teresa
    • In this quote by Mother Teresa, you can see how she feels about the virtue silence. She says that everything that came naturally is silent, and that we are loud and obnoxious.



  • "Lying is done with words and also with silence." -Adrienne Rich
    • This quote means that being silent is just as bad as telling a lie. For example, most teenagers don't tell their parents anything to avoid having to lie to them. What they don't understand is by being silent, they are just as guilty as if they were to lie using words.“Spiteful words can hurt your feelings but silence breaks your heart.” -unknown
*

This quote expresses the power of silence and how you can hurt some one more by saying nothing rather than telling them off. When you use spiteful word they can hurt people feelings but when you ignore them it can hurt them even more beause it makes them feel that they are not worth your time. so next time you get in an arguement with someone, rather than feeding into their pettiness ignore them and like i always say only a fool argues with themselves.

You never saw a fish on the wall with its mouth shut. -Sally Berger (James E)
  • This quote demonstrates the idea that if things need to be said than one can not be silent. (James E)

  • " To sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of men." Ella Wheeler Wilcox
This quote is saying that silence is not always the best idea. You need to know when to speak up for your self. You need to know when it is right to speal and protest against what is wrong and what you believe in. People may sin when they are silent because they are not doing the right thing, and this makes them cowards.

"Silence is the true friend that never betrays."- Confucius (Johnsi Guyer)
  • If you are silent there is nothing you can say to get you in trouble. It is truly the one friend you can count on to keep it's mouth shut
Sometimes silence has the loudest voice"Leroy Brownlow
  • This quote explains that although it maybe hard, in some situations no matter how untempting it is , Silence is the best answer. Without saying anything a person can communicate a great deal more than what can be communicated through words.
  • "Silence is a source of great strength." -Lao Tzu
This quote explains why most people cannot be silent. A lot of people speak what they think and those who don't have to truly bite their lip to stop themselves. If you can be silent, it is better and makes you a stronger person for it.

**Silence** is the virtue of fools.” -Sir Francis Bacon
  • This quote expresses Sir Bacon's anger at men who are silent when their voice can remove doubt of a reason.
  • "Saying nothing... sometimes says the most." -Emily Dickinson
    http://thinkexist.com/quotation/saying_nothing-sometimes_says_the_most/146237.html
    • She is saying that silence can tell alot about a person because it allows you to really understand what they are thinking. If a person is silent then they only speak if something important needs to be said so the comment is more meaningful.
  • Do not speak unless you can improve the silence.
Proverb quote
This quote is saying don’t just talk to talk. It doesn’t matter that nothing is being said; if you have nothing important to say just let the silence be. Silence is not a bad thing, it is okay that it happens.
• "actions speak louder than words" - johnathon Larson-playwright.
~ the quote is from my favorite musical called Tick tick boom by Johnathon Larson. It tells how sometimes the things that you do say more than words would. Its like giving someone a hug when you know they don't want to talk about why they are upset. Your actions sometimes say everything you need and sometimes even more.

"Lying is done with words and also with silence."- Adrienne Rich
This quote means that lying involves both silence and words. If somebody keeps a secret from everyone and doesnt say anything about it it is still a lie but its like a silent lie.

  • Words can make a deeper scar than **silence** can heal"
    • This quote is saying how silence can prevent much pain, for if you are silent then you are not saying something that can potentially hurt somebody. It also says how silence does not heal the pain that is caused by what people say. The main meaning is that words can scar people for life, and that silence is a good way to prevent those scars from forming.
  • Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.”
-Josh Billings
This quote is saying that it is hard to compete with silence. Silence can be the best thing because when nothing is being sad, how do you argue with nothing?

  • "He who does not know how to be silent will not know how to speak." - Ausonius
    • If you are not silent sometimes, to listen and understand what is going on, you will not know anything useful to say.

  • "Oppression can only survive through silence." - Carmen de Monteflores
    • Oppression is possible when no one works to end it. If no one says something is wrong, nothing will be done to correct it.
Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts.This shows that silence is not only important to stop yourself from saying something that may be regretted, but also to convey emotion when words will not do.
  • "It is a great thin g to know the season for speech and the season for silence." - Seneca
    • This quote says that it is best to know if remaining silent or not will improve a situation before you act.
  • "The cruelest lies are often told in silence." - Robert Louis Stevenson
    • With the quote from his essay, Truth of Intercourse, Stevenson recognizes that people often lie to each other by omission. He refers to how a man or woman might lie to his or her significant other by not saying when something is bothering them and continuing the relationship with a false pretense, by continuing to lead the other person on into an insincere relationship. Click here to read Stevenson’s essay.
  • "Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer." - Muhammad Ali
- Within this quote silence is seen as knowledge. In this quote I think that Ali was saying that if you speak too often people will realize how little you know but if you keep silent, espcially when you have nothing earth-shattering to say you will appear clever to the common man.

· Silence propagates itself, and the longer talk has been suspended, the more difficult it is to find anything to say. -Samuel Johnson
o This quote is stating that the longer you go without talking, the harder it will be to make improvements or act upon whatever it is you want to change. It is best to act immediately.




  • "Spiteful words can hurt your feelings, but silence breaks your heart."
  • Through this quote, it is understood that when people may say mean things, it can hurt your feelings, but to say nothing at all completely crushes you. It is better to say something and explain yourself, rather to just run away from a problem and say nothing at all.

“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” - Charles de Gaulle
-This quote shows that silence increases ones appearence of strength, while implying that talking unnecissarily does the opposite.

“Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts.” - Margaret Lee Runbeck
It is only with those you love most nearly, who you understand most exactly, that you can enjoy and relish the silence that stretches. It is a conversation all its own. It is a chance to learn twice what you normally would; you learn to notice what they express, and you understand more deeply what goes on in your own mind. Realize those that cannot enjoy silence, you can never truly touch.


What this quote is saying is that sometimes it hurts more to be quiet rather than let your feelings pour out. But in other instances it is better to be seen and not heard.

  • “Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it’s all over.” – Gloria Naylor**
    • Part of silence is being able to tell the difference between when to be quiet and when to speak up. People always want to say what they believe is right but sometimes it is best to just let the moment pass and commit yourself to fixing it. It is virtuous to be able to tell the difference
  • He that would live in peace and
    at ease, must not speak all he
    knows, nor judge all he sees.
    -Benjamin Franklin
  • this quote is very blunt and states that sometimes it is just better to keep your mouth shut and to yourself

- This 17th century philosopher is referring to the idea that if people would be silent and listen to what others are saying, there would be less confusion and conflict in our world.

-“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.”

  • This means that no one should be foced to be silence and everyone has the right to speak. Everyone should dine themselfs.

-“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.”--Charles de Gaulle

  • Silence is what makes the goverment stronger. We should all speak our minds and not be afraid of the goverment.
  • "Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us all without words?" ~Marcel Marceau
  • I agree with quote dealing with silence because soome of the greatest moments in our life happen when there is just silence. Silence can really make us understand to appreciate life more and the true events that occur with in the years in which we live are silenced because we are speechless at that moment and words are not needed.